


Half-Asleep Ramblings

by Deanon



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Fluff, Foreign Language, Language Kink, Light-Hearted, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-24
Updated: 2011-08-24
Packaged: 2017-10-23 00:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/244246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deanon/pseuds/Deanon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karkat mumbles sweet nothings in Alternian. John really doesn't mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Half-Asleep Ramblings

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this charming comic](http://askjk.tumblr.com/post/9279081302/yeah-sometimes-i-mean-not-on-purpose-it).

By the time John stumbled through the door of their apartment, Karkat half-asleep on his shoulder, it was after 3 am. John was pretty tired after that party (how did Dave manage being such a night owl?), but Karkat was far worse for wear. Two days of no sleep were reflected in the bags that dominated much of his face, and his lashes had finally ceased fluttering and settled on mostly-closed. He was nearly dead weight on John’s shoulder.

 

“Karkat?” John poked at Karkat’s arm. A hum of discontent, barely audible, was the only response. “Karkat, if you want to sleep on the bed, we still need to get up the stairs.”

 

Orange eyes finally opened enough to meet John’s, so close that John could feel his heart flutter even through his fatigue. Karkat mumbled something in response, something with too many consenants and a strange click in the middle and laden with affection, before his eyes slipped shut again.

 

“Wh,” John mumbled, as Karkat became dead weight against him again. “What?”

 

It took another repitition before the explanation occured to John - _he's speaking Alternian_. Of course he'd heard the language before - the trolls often spoke it to each other - but the usual harsh, almost vicious sound of it was lost when whispered by a half-asleep Karkat. In fact - 

 

“Karkat,” John whispered, turning to face his boyfriend. Karkat’s face went into his shoulder, and sure enough, Karkat mumbled a response right into John’s ear, something with a dozen z’s. Past the strangeness of the language, though, John liked Karkat’s voice like this. Without his vicious words to cloud his meaning, John could hear every nuance of affection in Karkat's words.

 

But he still didn’t know what Karkat was saying.

 

“Karkat,” he shook Karkat’s shoulder, “Karkat, you’re speaking Alternian.” (He spent a moment to feel regret that Karkat would probably now _stop_ speaking Alternian.)

 

A soft breath, and what was probably a curse judging by the tone - but still in that odd, buzzing dialect. And then - “I said, if you don’t want to sleep on the floor, then you’re carrying me up the stairs, you pitiable asshole.”

 

And in anyone else’s voice, that would have almost been an insult.

 

In anyone else’s voice, though, John wouldn’t have been able to hear the _I pity the shit out of you_ behind every word.

 

“My pleasure,” John said, beaming. Clumsily, his muscles relaxed with fatigue, he swept Karkat up ("Fuck, asshole, this wasn't what I meant!" "What did you mean, then?") and carried him up the stairs, only stumbling twice. When he deposited Karkat on the bed, as gently as possible, Karkat gave up complaning completely in favor of closing his eyes. John collapsed next to him, kicking his shoes off the end of the bed.

 

In the few moments before he drifted off to sleep, a thought whispered through John's mind - _I should get Vriska to teach me how to say "I pity you" in Alternian. Karkat's face if I just sprung that on him!..._


End file.
